Pontecorvo intended to have them portray the "Casbah-as-chorus", communicating with chanting, wailing, and physical effect. ... A very different musical score … Both colonizer and colonized commit atrocities against civilians. "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema: 6. Morricone was best known for his acclaimed compositions in films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Untouchables, The Battle of Algiers, and so many more.His self-written obituary begins: “I, Ennio … [citation needed], For The Battle of Algiers, Pontecorvo and cinematographer Marcello Gatti filmed in black and white and experimented with various techniques to give the film the look of newsreel and documentary film. The film has been critically acclaimed. In this edition of Observations on Film Art, Professor Jeff Smith analyzes Morricone’s masterful score for Gillo Pontecorvo’s revolutionary bombshell THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, an explosive portrait of the Algerian struggle for independence from France. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Nearly all of the actors in the movie were unknown amateurs or people that Pontecorvo pulled from the streets of Algiers. Find all 17 songs in The Battle of Algiers Soundtrack, with scene descriptions. It succeeds tactically, but fails strategically. It helped people understand that if you fight hard enough and unite your people for a common cause that you will see what the people want. Gillo Pontecorvo wrote the music for The Battle of Algiers, but because he was classified as a "melodist-composer" in Italy, he was required to work with another composer as well; his good friend Ennio Morricone collaborated with him. With the added extra features, "The Battle of Algiers" is the best DVD set of 2004. The viewer gets the impression that Pontecorvo has sprinkled actual news footage throughout the film, but all of the scenes were staged. The Battle of Algiers was a big-screen recreation of the bloody mid 1950s Algerian uprising against French rule. Simply copy it to the References page as is. The film was a popular success in Algeria, though Yacef recounts that there were some objections to the film’s action being limited to Algiers, not least since much of the war happened in the countryside (Harrison 2007b: 412). [33], During 2003, the press reported that United States Department of Defense (the Pentagon) offered a screening of the movie on August 27. "[35], At the time of the 2003 Pentagon screening, legal and "pirate" VHS and DVD versions of the movie were available in the United States and elsewhere, but the image quality was degraded. Pontecorvo was devoted to reality, daring to depict scenes of terrorism and torture. The paratroopers are depicted as neutralizing the whole of the FLN leadership through either assassination or capture. Rather than vilifying either French forces or FLN rebels, Pontecorvo exposes the rationals that both sides used to justify various acts of brutality. Despite the accolades that followed, The Battle of Algiers got off to a rocky start. The Battle of Algiers is available on Amazon Prime or you can watch it for free, as I did, on Youtube. [3], Pontecorvo and Solinas created several protagonists in their screenplay who are based on historical war figures. I sit here both frustrated and inspired. The Geopolitics of Pontecorvo’s The Battle of Algiers (1966). [33] ESMA was later known as a center for the Argentine Dirty War and torture and abuse of insurgents and innocent civilians. The Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict regarded it as useful for commanders and troops facing similar issues in occupied Iraq. Unsure whether Martin's professional acting style would contrast too much with the non-professionals, Pontecorvo argued about Martin's acting choices.[17]. The film is set during the Algerian War of the 1950s, as France’s occupying forces try to root out a network of militant cells seeking Algerian independence. When bombs go off in the film, there are no special effects at play. Soon the entire Arab population builds to a mad fervor. In 2003, the pentagon presented The Battle of Algers to an audience of 40 officers and civilian experts. [37], Arun Kapil, "Selected Biographies of Participants in the French-Algerian War", in, Pier Nico Solinas, "An Interview with Franco Solinas", in. [24], On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 87 reviews, with an average rating of 9.06/10; the site's consensus reads: "A powerful, documentary-like examination of the response to an occupying force, The Battle of Algiers hasn't aged a bit since its release in 1966. [5] It was selected to enter the list of the "100 Italian films to be saved". Right-wing elements in the French Army, led by General Massu seized power in Algiers and threatened to conduct an assault on Paris, involving paratroopers and armored forces based at Rambouillet, unless Charles de Gaulle was placed in charge of the Republic of France. Bach’s sacred oratorio adds gravity to scenes of destruction following two deadly attacks. The security forces resort to killings and indiscriminate violence against the opposition. It is based on events by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. The film is based on the memoirs of Saadi Yacef, a former FLN military commander. As I watched, I was regularly stunned by the realism. It is based on events by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. Particularly critical were French and Algerian war veterans who had fought on the side of France. He is recruited by FLN commander El-hadi Jafar, played by Saadi Yacef, who was a veteran FLN commander. 1954 marks the beginning of the Algerian War of Independence that officially ended on July 2, 1962. For a bit of background, the action unfolds toward the end of France’s colonial rule over what is now Algeria. UAS 5171; Vinyl LP). The rerelease of Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 black-and-white film The Battle of Algiers, recreating France's suppression of the 1950s Algerian uprising, is an extraordinary experience. Both insurgent groups and state authorities have considered it to be an important commentary on urban guerrilla warfare. Another documentary in the set includes interviews with FLN commanders Saadi Yacef and Zohra Drif. After independence, the French released Yacef, who became a leader in the new government. Other characters are the boy Petit Omar, a street urchin who is an FLN messenger; Larbi Ben M'hidi, a top FLN leader who provides the political rationale for the insurgency; and Djamila, Zohra, and Hassiba, three FLN women urban guerrillas who carry out a terrorist attack. This film was the first available to Metropole French that directly confronted French imperialism. The film is full of thrilling, polarizing, and overwhelming moments that conclude in a victorious win that doesn’t justify the means. It is based on events by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–62) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. The film seems to be filmed through the point of view of a western reporter, as telephoto lenses and hand-held cameras are used, whilst "depicting the struggle from a 'safe' distance with French soldiers placed between the crowds and camera. 2 hr 5 min September 20, 1967. Review Scores, 99% Certified Fresh Tomatometer Score 99 % Tomatometer, 95% Audience Score 95 % Audience Score. For those that choose the Youtube option, embedded below, a brief warning: the subtitles in the beginning are delayed but eventually line up with the action of the movie. In the middle of the film, one of the FLN’s chief commanders explains to the film’s leading combatant, “It’s hard enough to start a revolution, even harder to sustain it, and hardest of all to win it,” prophetically adding, “but, it’s only after we win that the real difficulties begin.” Since independence, Algeria has seen more cruelty and bloodshed than any people or country should have to withstand. So, when I stumbled upon this film on Youtube, I wasn’t expecting it to hold my attention for 121 minutes. [34], How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas. [28] People continued to argue about the grounds of the war and colonialism, and argued anew over how these were portrayed in the film. (The movie contains mild levels of violence compared to today’s entertainment standards). He said in an interview that the Colonel is "elegant and cultured, because Western civilization is neither inelegant nor uncultured". Released in 1967 on United Artists (catalog no. [citation needed]. Released in 1967 on United Artists (catalog no. La Bataille d’Alger, released in 1966 and banned in France for more than 5 years, is a remarkable movie, by Italian journalist and filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo. It was shot on location and the film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone. It is based on events by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. Algeria succeeded in gaining independence from the French, which Pontecorvo addresses in the film's epilogue.[3]. Forty years later it found an unlikely revival via the US military who was interested in it due to its involvement in the Iraq war. The film was shown in the Espace Accattone, rue Cujas in Paris, from November 15, 2006, to March 6, 2007. Pontecorvo wanted a professional actor, but one who would not be familiar to most audiences, as this could have interfered with the movie's intended realism. Genres: Film Score. The Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeri) is a socio-political war documentary, directed by the Italian filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo. It has received outstanding reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.1 and a MetaScore of 96. Surprisingly, the film quickly drew me in, gluing me to my laptop. [3], The tactics of the FLN guerrilla insurgency and the French counter insurgency, and the uglier incidents of the war are depicted. A spokesperson explained, ”showing the film offers historical insight into the conduct of French operations in Algeria, and was intended to prompt informative discussion.” Evidently, the question of how to combat armed insurgents that employ terrorist tactics, then retreat into the shadows, remains largely unanswered. He introduced the movie approvingly and added a religiously oriented commentary to it. The ‘Battle of Algiers’ was a pivotal event in the Algerian War of Independence. Learn how your comment data is processed. For example, The Battle of Algiers. This isn’t at all what I was expecting from an Italo-Algerian collaboration, filmed on location more than 50 years ago, in a country that was relatively unstable. The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 Italian-Algerian historical war film co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and starring Jean Martin and Saadi Yacef. In the 1960s, most war dramas presented a sterilized depiction of warfare. Pontecorvo co-wrote the score with Ennio Morricone and he continued to write scores for his films, maintaining they were structured with music in mind (he regarded The Battle of Algiers … The French have a plan. It may be a deeper film experience than many audiences can withstand: too cynical, too true, too cruel and too heartbreaking. Could be 1957, could be 2008, 2009… Set during the 1954 to 1962 Franco-Algerian conflict, The Battle of Algiers effectively and authentically recreates the pivotal political events that took place in the city of Algiers between 1954 and 1957. The Battle Of Algiers, Cinematic Portrait Of The Algerian Revolution, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Le président américain, l’historien britannique et la guerre d’Algérie, 50 ans après, le film « La bataille d’Alger » restauré en format numérique, ‘Battle of Algiers’ Is Presented At Black Panthers’ Trial Here. Upon its release in 1966, Gillo Pontecorvo’s “The Battle of Algiers” became an instant art-house sensation and garnered three Academy Award nominations. To cut the formality, The Battle of Algiers had blue-balled me. The actors credited are: Sound—both music and effects—performs important functions in the movie. [21] It was selected to enter the list of the "100 Italian films to be saved". The director received death threats from persons sympathetic to the French military view. Marc Lafia and Fang-Yu Lin's The Battle of Algiers recomposes scenes from the 1965 film of the same name by Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo. It was shot on location and the film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone. [12] Accused of portraying Mathieu as too elegant and noble, screenwriter Solinas denied that this was his intention. Movie: The Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri) (1966) info with movie soundtracks, credited songs, film score albums, reviews, news, and more. He chose people whom he met, picking them mainly on appearance and emotional effect (as a result, many of their lines were dubbed). The heated controversy kept the film outside of France until 1970. Scenes of the narrow stairways and passages of the Casbah add to the intrigue. [8] Yacef wrote the book while he was held as a prisoner of the French, and it served to boost morale for the FLN and other militants. "[22] Also, according to Anthony Frewin, Kubrick's personal assistant, he stated: "When I started work for Stanley in September 1965 he told me that I couldn’t really understand what cinema was capable of without seeing The Battle of Algiers. In one of their courses, they were shown the movie The Battle of Algiers. The effect was so convincing that American releases carried a notice that "not one foot" of newsreel was used. The conflict began as a series of attacks by the FLN against the French forces followed by a terrorist attack on Algerian civilians in Algiers by a group of Pieds-Noirs (European settlers), aided by the police. "[27], Given national divisions over the Algerian War, the film generated considerable political controversy in France and was banned there for five years. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for three Academy Awards (in non-consecutive years), including Best Foreign Language Film in 1967; and Best Screenplay (Gillo Pontecorvo and Franco Solinas) and Best Director (Gillo Pontecorvo) in 1969.[19]. Beginning in the late 1960s, The Battle of Algiers gained a reputation for inspiring political violence; in particular, the tactics of urban guerrilla warfare and terrorism in the movie supposedly were copied by the Black Panthers, the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. How to cite “The Battle of Algiers” (movie) APA citation. The Battle of Algiers also features thousands of Algerian extras. It was shot on location and the film's score was composed by Ennio Morricone. [18], Pontecorvo resisted the temptation to romanticise the protagonists. Saadi Yacef who plays El-Hadi Jaffar and Samia Kerbash who plays Fatiha are both said to have been members of the FLN and Pontecorvo is said to have been greatly inspired by their accounts. Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 Kelly Vance East Bay Express Considered the best political film of all time, The Battle of Algiers captures the naked truth of senseless murders and violence that many war films fail to bring to light with the right essence and humanity. The highly dramatic film is about the organization of a guerrilla movement and the illegal methods, such as torture, used by the colonial power to contain it. The Battle of Algiers is available to watch free on Kanopy. A restored print had been made in Italy in 1999. Genres: Film Score. On the Trail of the Golden Owl, Lucrative Quest or Wild-Goose-Chase. Having enjoyed the soundtrack, I was also pleased to discover that Pontecorvo worked with the venerable Ennio Morricone, who died in July, to create much of the music for the film. With more than four hundred scores for cinema and television to his credit, Italian maestro Ennio Morricone (1928–2020) left behind a monumental legacy as one of the greatest and most prolific film composers in history, instantly enhancing whatever project he touched. It is based on events by rebels during the Algerian War (1954–1962) against the French government in North Africa; the most prominent being the titular Battle of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. Rialto Pictures acquired the distribution rights to re-release the film again in the United Kingdom in December 2003 as well as in the United States and in France on separate dates in 2004. [2], The Battle of Algiers was inspired by the 1962 book Souvenirs de la Bataille d'Alger, an FLN military commander's account of the campaign, by Saadi Yacef. It is about the Algerian war, but those not interested in Algeria may substitute another war; The Battle of Algiers has a universal frame of reference". Many in this latter category were 2nd, 3rd, even 4th-generation descendants of Europeans who had colonized the region in the 19th century and had never before taken a step in mainland France. Because of partisan warfare between Muslims and Pied-Noir, in which both sides commit acts of increasing violence, France sends French Army paratroopers to the city to fight against and capture members of the National Liberation Front (FLN). "The Battle of Algiers" is "a training film for urban guerrillas," Jimmy Breslin declared on TV in 1968. Their performances, however, are genuine and natural, in contrast with the melodramatic heroes and heroines found in American films. Formatted according to the APA Publication Manual 7 th edition. The prosecution claimed that the Panthers used the movie to train themselves on the tactics of urban guerilla warfare. In France, Cahiers du cinéma devoted a special feature to the film consisting of five articles by critics, philosophers, and film scholars. (Both French and Arabic are spoken throughout the movie, again underscoring Pontecorvo’s dedication to realism.) The Battle of Algiers", "Film Director Gillo Pontecorvo; 'Battle of Algiers' Broke Ground", "Breaking the silence: the Catholic Church and the "dirty war" ", A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Battle_of_Algiers&oldid=1008749229, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 February 2021, at 21:34. He portrays the cruelty of attacks committed by both the FLN and the French. American war films almost always glorified one side of the conflict while demonizing the other. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range. In an era when even superhero movies routinely mimic vérité grittiness, one might expect Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 The Battle of Algiers to have lost some of its ability to astonish. Half a century after its debut, The Battle of Algiers has a permanent parking spot in the film canon. PierNico Solinas, "An Interview with Franco Solinas", in, "The Battle of Algiers (1967) - Box Office Mojo", Millennium: Journal of International Studies, "Gillo Pontecorvo: The Battle of Algiers". Episode 4, “La Bataille d’Alger: La guerre d’Algérie, Costa-Gavras à propos de “La Bataille d’Alger” de Gillo Pontecorvo, Le Périphérique, Congested Beltway Of Paris To Become Greenspace, Read-Along, The Archipelago of Another Life, Bestselling French Fiction, The Artist’s Way, An Attempt to Free My Creative Spirit, March Potpourri: Tableaux, Toasts, Trees, and Uplifting Tales, Fiction that Enlightens: Learning Something Adds to the Enjoyment. The crowd scenes of revolt and/or military domination are expansive and realistic. [6], The Battle of Algiers reconstructs the events that occurred in the capital city of French Algeria between November 1954 and December 1957, during the Algerian War of Independence. The French authorities, who were very sensitive on the Algerian issue, banned the film for three months." All in all then The Battle of Algiers is a film of which it may be said without absurdity that it is a masterpiece of epic realism. There are moments in films that truly get me excited, and these aren't necessarily huge moments. One of the most influential political films in history, The Battle of Algiers, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the occupying French in the 1950s. As military chaplain, on Youtube, I was regularly stunned by the Italian filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo devoted... 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